Native American and European Contributions to the U.S. Development - Research Paper Example

Native American & European Contributions to the U.S. Development Introduction The United States is one of the most powerful and successful countries in the world, which is linked to their diverse societies and cultures. The country is “representing global power in terms of economic and military resources based on national grounds like no other unit” (Schmidt, 2006, p. 12). Also, it is a place for diverse immigrants from all over the world, which have positive influences on the U.S. current economic and military status. The cultures and societies they have today are formed from different settlers or colonizers they have experienced, particularly from Asia, Middle East, and Europe. Based on a collective definition, culture is based on reflected values, norms, and practices that are executed by an individual in the society, which are mostly coming from previous generations or societies (Block, 1993, p. 204). Furthermore, there is no such thing as perfect or absolute culture anywhere in the world because diversity will always be present in terms of fragmented population, demographics, beliefs, understandings, socioeconomic status, and many more (Galt, 2006, p. 5). However, diversity is positively perceived by many people around the world, and they are using this concept to improve their cultural and social status by familiarizing the concept; this event is commonly known as the inclusion. The concept of diversity and inclusion in the context of the U.S. society and culture will be explained in this paper focusing on two cultural groups: the Native Americans and the Europeans (English). The origins and contributions of these groups to the U.S. development will be discussed, as well as their exclusion or inclusion into the U.S. society. The Concept of Diversity & Inclusion in the Context of U.S. & Global Society Cultural differences have significant influences to modern societies or social groups. Thus, there is no certain community or country that has a pure identity of culture in terms of behaviors, attitudes, values, etc., but culture has made a country unique and separated. Diversity and inclusion have different meanings and different usages, but they needed each other to have a well-function and consistent system or society. Diversity means “difference” in many things/events while inclusion is the “capacity to include difference” or how to make diversity works (Notter & Grant, 2011, p. 191). The concept of diversity is the accumulation of everything including events, personalities, hypothesis, experiences, lifestyles, race, gender, etc., which are gained from previous settlers or generations. More often, diversity is considered as a barrier that is strongly felt in national cultures and complex societies; however, it does not mean the concept does not exist in the domestic deal. The early people are moving from one country to another, and as they crossed geographical borders, cultures have been passed, but the process is more complicated. However, it is believed that diversity is vital for the uninterrupted existence of humanity because it “widens the range of options open to everyone; it is one of the roots of development, understood not simply in terms of economic growth, but also as a means to achieve a more satisfactory intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual existence” (UNESCO, 2002, p. 13). On the other hand, the concept of inclusion is concerned on the usage of diversity to settle societal issues, transform differences as an important tool to humanity, and become beneficial to the general welfare (Henderson, 2009, p. 1). Inclusion’s role in diversity could be illustrated in terms of principles or actions that are in favor to the public, and it will help diverse people to understand and admire the differences within their community. The concept of diversity or inclusion in the U.S. context is found in the country’s diverse cultures and complex social groups, which are some of today’s most salient issues. “For the past 200 years, the United States has been the great melting pot, with immigrants from every other country in the world” (Gaines & Worrall, 2011, p. 56). Some of the highly debated practices in the U.S. are its cultural and societal issues including ethic groups, discrimination in race and gender, sexual orientation, religious freedom, educational system, and many more. The U.S. society is composed of diverse people with different cultural backgrounds considering that the country has been colonized by various social groups or cultural groups from different regions. However, the country was able to handle diversity and inclusion in its culture and society when it had succeeded in integrating differences for the society’s benefit despite the fact that each of the cultural group wanted to retain its identities. The integration was illustrated as they opened the country to several races, discrimination restriction, religious freedom, and ethnic groups or minorities were identified as part of the society by giving them equal rights and privileges. However, diversity is perceived as an asset and a liability to the nation. “Its strength comes from the many rich and varied cultures that contribute to what the country is all about...[and curse] because of the constant conflicts and seemingly irresolvable problems it creates” (Naylor, 1999, p. 1). Diverse People & Events Contribution to U.S. Society & Culture Diversity of people and events are not considered as a U.S. barrier because those have significant contributions to the U.S. society and culture. Cultural differences have exposed U.S. communities to various cultural backgrounds, behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, etc., which have given them the opportunity to understand and honor diversities for their own advantage. The U.S. society or culture is influenced by several people worldwide, which have come to the country with different intentions or purposes. Several settlers from Europe, Asia, Africa, and other neighboring countries have established their own colonies in the U.S. because they wanted to control the region, reform the people’s religious settings, political oppression, expand their territories, trade, wealth accumulation, slavery, and many more. This large number of cultural grouping has made the U.S. a culturally rich and diverse country whose people from a single territorial unit are partaking different beliefs and behaviors (Naylor, 1999, p. 1). Native Americans & Europeans (English). The Native Americans or known as the Pacific Islanders or Alaska Natives are one of the U.S. outsiders that came to the country long before the American culture was formed. “The traditions of many Native American people place[d] their origins in areas where they lived 500 years ago, but some of them may have lived in these places for many centuries before that” (Lockard, 2011, p. 86). They have no absolute origin, but they closely appeared like Asian people considering that they are from the Pacific who have travelled and crossed Siberia (Bering Strait) to Alaska using a land bridge or a Beringia during 40,000-15,000 B.C.E (Kline, 2011, p. 19). Thus, they are the “first human inhabitants of the Americas” (Guisepi, n.d., p. 1). Native American tribes are not a cultural, but a social group; however, their different ethnic groups have gathered together and formed their own cultural groups with “variety of customs, values, and social practices” (Kline, 2011, p. 18). The Native Americans or the American Indians are very skillful, resilient, environmentalist, and hospitable people who have great contributions to the life of many Americans today, as well as to the world in terms of farming, fishing, gathering, and hunting. They are known as the first great farmers, and the world has considered their many accomplishments in the field of agriculture using their indigenous agricultural customs like crops or various plant species, cultivated plants, burning of forested areas, ‘three sisters,’ and other planting practices that are significant in the modern agriculture. Other Native Americans’ contributions to the U.S. development are “the conservation of water practices, and used several methods of irrigation” (Doerr, 2011, p. 181), as well as the use of different musical instruments, and arts/crafts like “pottery, paintings, jewelry, weavings, sculptures, basketry, and carvings” (Gupta, 2005, p. 41). On the other hand, Native Americans’ cultural groups and societies have been changed when the Europeans have come to the U.S. in the 16th century. The first European settlers that the Native Americans have met are the French and Dutch, but these groups did not show strong motivation to colonize the region. Furthermore, the English (from England) had come, and it had “sent more people to the Americas than any other European nations - about 400,000 in the 17th century” (Guisepi, n.d., p. 1). Unlike the first two European settlers, the English people are not friendly to the Indians because they wanted to control the entire region (land hungry-settlers) and made the Indians their slaves. However, despite cultural disparities or identities, the English has significant contributions to the U.S. development such as overseas trade, tax laws, commercial laws or statutory procedures (i.e., English Navigation Acts), domestic animals, industrialization, English language, freedom of religion, weapons, and many more. The Native Americans and Europeans have different cultures. For instance, the Native Americans have a matrilineal culture (mother lineage) wherein “the oldest women may have the greatest authority and decision making power”; thus, women are highly respected and elevated in the society (Galanti, 2004, p. 79; Banda, 2005, p. 197). In contrast, the Europeans have a patrilineal culture (father lineage) wherein the supreme power of making decisions is bestowed to the father side (Lockard, 2011, p. 94). Furthermore, the ‘white Indians’ or the Europeans perceived that the Native Americans’ ways are suspicious; thus, they wanted to gain control on the Indian’s culture, but the latter have refused and wanted to preserve them (Ornstein, Levine, & Gutek, 2011, p. 152). The two groups’ disparities have led to conflict, sexual harassment, slavery, scarcity, displacement, war, and many more. In fact, many of the indigenous populations had been killed when the conflict had started because of infectious or endemic diseases (i.e., chicken pox, small pox, measles, fever, etc.) from the Europeans, which the Native Americans had not acquired medicine because of the world isolation (Litalien, Roth, & Vaugeois, 2004, p. 273). Inclusion Into or Exclusion from U.S. Society (1870s) It was in 1870s that the Naturalization Act or guarantee of citizenship to social groups had been introduced to the U.S. The Europeans were granted an inclusion into the U.S. society because they had been a military friend or an ally to the U.S. government during the colonial or civil wars. Their contributions to the country were also acknowledged (i.e., the use of English language, industrialization, technologies, etc.), and they had delivered several American Indian territories during the American Civil War. Thus, as naturalized Americans, they were given rights, equal treatment, and opportunities just like the naturally-born American citizens. On the other hand, the Native Americans were excluded from the granting of citizenship because of their alliance to France during the civil war, and they had fought against the U.S. government. Their societies were considered as inferior or subordinate, and they had no rights over the Americas because they had already lost their lands during the war. However, 20 years later, the Native Americans had been included into the U.S. society or granted citizenship because of being one of the active groups in the U.S. community (despite of increasing immigration), cultural activism, heroic services, economic contributions, and many more. In fact, the government had encouraged them to be part of the civilizing process and adopted their practices like “private property, built homes, farmed, educated, embraced Christianity, these Native Americans would win acceptance from white Americans” (Madaras & SoRelle, 2002, p. 180). In 1890, the American Indians had become one of the U.S. citizens as they received their state citizenship (Hoxie, 2007, p. 335); thus, they had experienced equal treatment or fairness in the larger U.S. society. Conclusion In summary, diversity and inclusion concepts in the context of the U.S. society and culture are equally observed considering that the country was able to accept the different cultures or richness into their society. Also, the differences have worked for the good of the country because of understanding and respect from the humanity. The different cultural groups in the U.S. have worked hand-in-hand for the betterment of their communities despite the fact that they are coming from different social groups. The Native Americans and English contributions to the development of the U.S. are both acknowledged worldwide. Diverse people and societies have not been a barrier to the country’s growth because of the concept of inclusion. In the context of the global society, they have opened the country for immigrants and granted them U.S. citizenship because the government did not look after the disparity of identities, but on how their differences could be beneficial to the country. 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